


Friends Who Fight Together Stay Together

by violasarecool



Series: What Can 8 Grey Wardens Do? [19]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Demigirl, Dwarven Carta (Dragon Age), Gen, Knotwood Hills, background aeducan/brosca
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violasarecool/pseuds/violasarecool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>sigrun and ketkoni brosca once fought together under the carta; by chance they find themselves together again, this time fighting darkspawn</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friends Who Fight Together Stay Together

**Author's Note:**

> kit's nonbinary (they/she), ketkoni's a demigirl (they/she)

It was late in the night as Sigrun and Ketkoni sat in an empty room below the surface of Orzammar, long past ready for their guard shift to end. Empty was perhaps the wrong word: the room was full of barrels and crates, goods acquired from nobles with too much to spare and commoners with not enough to pay. There were no other dwarves in that room, however, so they passed the time with idle chatter.

"What a waste, all this shit rusting down here in these damp tunnels," Ketkoni said, playing with a bronze medallion, the lid of a nearby barrel cracked open.

"Mm. It's funny, we sit on this stuff like dragons hoarding treasure. Or—" Sigrun's eyes lit up, "worse, like _nobles_."

Ketkoni laughed. "Noble house Carta," they drawled.

"The insignia's got to be a body with a dagger in its back," Sigrun said.

"In backstabbing we trust," Ketkoni said. "How long do you think 'til Menden tries to oust Jarvia again?"

"Not long enough," Sigrun said. "She's going to get herself killed this time, Jarvia's been dying for a reason to get rid of her." She snorted. "No pun intended."

"Mm." Ketkoni tossed the medallion back in its barrel. "She's not cut out for the Carta, though."

"She's not the only one," Sigrun muttered.

Ketkoni shot her a surprised glance. "What? What else would you even _do?"_

Sigrun shrugged. "I've kind of... been thinking, about joining the Legion."

"You're not serious."

"No, really." Sigrun sat back, leaned against the stone wall. "I mean, they'll take anyone, even casteless, right? Fighting darkspawn's gotta be better than playing hired muscle in Dust town."

"Hm. I love a good fight, but sealing yourself off in the deep roads doesn't sound like a _life."_

"That's why they call it the Legion of the _Dead,"_ Sigrun said, grinning.

Ketkoni laughed. "With that kind of morbid humour, you'd be a good fit."

"I like to think so," Sigrun said. She glanced at Ketkoni. "You know, you could join, too. I know it's not ideal, but..."

Ketkoni shook their head. "And leave Rica alone? I couldn't. Or Mother, I guess," they added, with a wry smile.

"Spending the rest of your life with the _Carta,_ though?"

"Yeah? Better than starving. See, that's where we're different," Ketkoni said. "You complain about dealing with the Carta, and, yeah, they're pretty much all hairy assholes." Sigrun laughed. "But I'd take Beraht and all his web-headed thugs any day over spending my life fighting brainless monsters in a dark tunnel."

"Brainless monsters," Sigrun said, making a weighing motion with her hands, "or brainless thugs. I don't know, Ket, I think mine sounds like more fun."

Ketkoni grinned. "And you're welcome to it. Honestly," they said, giving Sigrun a warm look, "you should do it. You'd be great."

"Thanks," Sigrun said. She looked down, smiling. Then she shot Ketkoni a glance. "You'd better have the Carta under your feet in a few years, then."

"'Course. Can't let you get all the glory _fighting darkspawn for Orzammar_ ," they said, dramaticizing the last few words.

"Hah! Glory, my ass. I'll settle for not dying the first time we go into the Deep Roads."

"I'd drink to that if there was anything to drink," Ketkoni said ruefully.

Sigrun laughed. "I'll buy next time we're off." 

* * *

**Codex Entry: Grey Warden Report**

The new recruits are settling in very quickly—they already have significant combat experience, and haven't been any trouble with their duties. Well, nothing too serious, anyway. I've been trying to keep Dwinna and Anders separate on patrols, as Anders can be a bit... exasperating, sometimes. If she doesn't actually end up attacking him, the only thing we'll have to worry about are Ketkoni and Kit's elaborate pranks (I might need Merle's help on that front).

On a more positive note, Dwinna and Ketkoni work especially well together, which was something I admit I missed until Merle pointed it out. I may try taking those two and Kit on a patrol soon, and hopefully they'll work just as well together fighting as they do stringing feathers from the ceiling.

_—from the personal notes of Fereldan Warden-Commander Quentin Surana_

 

Grey clouds stretched across the sky, obscuring the midday sun so only dim light fell onto the battered rock. There'd been a sighting at Knotwood hills, the Seneschal had said, and he wasn't wrong; Quentin fired blasts of magic at the remaining darkspawn, while Dwinna, Ketkoni, and Kit fought ahead of him. Beside them, another dwarf buried her dagger into the back of a hurlock. Despite their having come across her being dragged away by darkspawn, she didn't seem fazed, and Quentin watched, somewhat impressed, as she took down the last darkspawn.

The dwarf turned to them, panting, as she replaced her weapons in their sheaths on her back. "Thanks. I thought I was..." She trailed off, staring at their group—no, more specifically: "Ket?"

Ketkoni blinked, mouth open. "No..."

The Dwarf pulled off her helmet, revealing a heavily tattooed face and dark ponytails. "Yes!" she exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Sigrun!" Ketkoni said, grinning back.

"C'mere," Sigrun said, dropping her helmet on the ground as she threw her arms around Ketkoni in a tight hug. "By the Paragons, I can't believe I'm seeing you _here,_ of all places! What are you doing on the surface?"

"Took a job that went bad, got exiled," Ketkoni said, stepping back.

Sigrun wrinkled her nose. "Ouch." 

"What about you? I thought the Legion didn't go above ground?"

"Oh, we're only a few feet from some tunnels," Sigrun said, pointing at a chunk of rock half-obscuring what was evidently a tunnel entrance just beyond. "I was on a patrol with some others when we were ambushed by darkspawn. I... I don't think anyone else survived." She grimaced, and Ketkoni gave her a sympathetic look. "Stone, I thought I was going to be making good on my vow until you guys showed up." She glanced at the others as if remembering them for the first time.

Ketkoni followed her gaze. "Oh, yeah. Guys, this is my friend, Sigrun. Sigrun, meet Quentin, Dwinna, and Kit. They're Grey Wardens. Like me," she added, almost as an afterthought.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Wardens, huh? So you _did_ end up fighting darkspawn. My condolences," Sigrun said, and Ketkoni laughed.

"I guess, yeah."

Sigrun's gaze paused on Quentin, and her eyes lit up. "You!" she said, grinning up at him. "I guess that makes us even now, huh?"

"Uh." Quentin stared at her, trying to think of when he would have seen her face previously. "Sorry, I don't remember... Did we meet in Orzammar?"

"Oh, right, I guess I must look the same as all the others in my armour. I saw you a few months ago, in the trenches. Saved your ass from that ogre?"

"Oh," Quentin said, "yes, I remember."

Did he ever remember. A giant hand, knocking the world upside down. His arms pinned to his sides, the blood rushing to his head as the ogre's enormous maw loomed above him. Its loud bellow as everything turned into a blur, and the earth came up to meet him. A dwarf tugging her axe out of the beast's body, grinning through the spray of blood before dashing back into the fray.

"Thank you for that, by the way," he added.

Sigrun waved a hand. "I saved your life, you saved mine. We're good." She glanced behind her at the opening to the cave, and her face settled into something like resignation. "I should be going, though. If anyone else is alive, I need to find them."

"We'll go back in with you," Ketkoni said.

"Would you?" Sigrun gave her a grateful look. "I mean, it _is_ my job and all, but one dwarf doesn't make much of a Legion."

Ketkoni glanced at Quentin, who nodded. "We're investigating darkspawn activity in the area, so this is as good a place to start as any," he said.

"Right. I guess fighting darkspawn is _your_ job, too."

"True," Quentin said.

"Well, let's get going, then," Sigrun said, gesturing at the cave entrance. "Darkspawn get up to all kinds of nonsense when left to their own devices. Just like you," she said, grinning at Ketkoni. "You've got to tell me what you've been up to all this time. How long have you been a Grey Warden?"

"Officially?" Ketkoni said, as they stepped down into the dark tunnel. "About a week."

"Oh, wow."

"But before that, we spent about..." Ketkoni turned to Dwinna, "a year?"

"Just about," Dwinna agreed.

"A year fighting darkspawn, on and off. So, hey, we've got some experience. Oh, _also_ ," Ketkoni shot Dwinna a pleased look, "I skipped an important detail when introducing _this one,"_ she said, nudging Dwinna, whose replying smile was tinged with embarrassment. 

"Oh _really_ ," Sigrun said, grinning. "Another girlfriend?"

"Hey," Ketkoni pointed a finger at her, "I know what you're thinking, but sex does not a girlfriend make, or I'd have been dating half the Carta at one point."

"No kidding," Sigrun said, and Dwinna laughed.

"We'll have to trade stories," Dwinna said to Sigrun. "You can tell me all about what she was like in the Carta, I'll tell you what we've been doing since then."

"Mostly getting rained on," Ketkoni put in. Boy, was it ever _wet_ on the surface.

"Deal," Sigrun said. "I think you're basically _required_ to start with how you two met, though."

"Mmm. I suppose." Dwinna's gaze focused on something in the tunnel beyond, and Ketkoni instinctively raised her daggers, following Dwinna's gaze. "Darkspawn first," Dwinna said, hand clenched on her shield.

"What, you can't talk and fight?" Sigrun teased, as they ducked around a pillar into an open cavern.

Dwinna shrugged, gave a non-committal grunt.

"Wouldn't be fair on the darkspawn, since they can't talk back," Ketkoni shot.

"Actually... I've got bad news for you," Sigrun said, and Ketkoni groaned.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."


End file.
